Police-Mental Health Collaborations: A Framework for Implementing Effective Law Enforcement Responses for People Who Have Mental Health Needs
Increasingly, law enforcement officers are called on to be the first, and often the only, responders to calls involving people who have mental health needs. To begin tackling that challenge, The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center released a framework to help law enforcement agencies across the country better respond to the growing number of calls for service they receive involving this population.
Police-Mental Health Collaborations: A Framework for Implementing Effective Law Enforcement Responses for People Who Have Mental Health Needs is a publication intended to help jurisdictions advance comprehensive, agency-wide responses to people who have mental illnesses. These responses feature cross-system collaborations between the criminal justice and behavioral health systems. The framework is organized around six main questions that law enforcement executives should consider to be successful in implementing or improving police-mental health collaborations (PMHCs) in their jurisdiction. These questions are:
- Is our leadership committed?
- Do we have clear policies and procedures to respond to people who have mental health needs?
- Do we provide staff with quality mental health and stabilization training?
- Does the community have a full array of mental health services and supports for people who have mental health needs?
- Do we collect and analyze data to measure the PMHC against the four key outcomes?
- Do we have a formal and ongoing process for reviewing and improving performance?
Written primarily for law enforcement executives, and with support from the U.S. Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, the framework also highlights jurisdictions that have excelled in each area.
New support centers offer resources, training, and assistance to improve responses to people with behavioral health needs.
Read More
The CSG Justice Center is seeking applicants to expand the Law Enforcement–Mental Health Learning Sites Program.
Read More
Apply for short-term, free support to better understand how people with mental illnesses move through your local criminal…
Read More
New Support Centers Offer Behavioral Health Resources and Assistance
New support centers offer resources, training, and assistance to improve responses to people with behavioral health needs.
Read More
Apply Now to Join the Nationally Recognized Law Enforcement-Mental Health Learning Sites Program
The CSG Justice Center is seeking applicants to expand the Law Enforcement–Mental Health Learning Sites Program.
Read More
Apply Now for Short-Term, Free Support in Winter/Spring 2021
Apply for short-term, free support to better understand how people with mental illnesses move through your local criminal justice system.
Read More
Advancing Justice in a Year of Crisis: Our 2020 Annual Report
State and local justice systems faced unprecedented challenges in 2020. We look back at our year of creating successes in the midst of hardship and building consensus despite conflict.
Read More
Federal Spending and Pandemic Relief Package Signed into Law
Congress recently approved a $1.4 trillion omnibus spending package for 2021 and a $900 billion COVID-19 relief package.
Read More
President Biden’s 2022 Budget Request Prioritizes Mental Health Services, Racial Equity Initiatives, and Workforce Development
President Biden submitted his first discretionary budget request to Congress, which outlines his funding priorities for the 2022 fiscal year, including several important investments related to the criminal and juvenile justice system.
Read More